Jungle Chook Cocktail Recipe

Campari isn’t often the primary ingredient that involves thoughts when discussing tropical cocktails, but it surely’s an integral part within the Jungle Chook, which pairs the Italian bitter liqueur with darkish rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, and easy syrup. The ensuing drink is bittersweet, fruity, balanced, and refreshing.

The Jungle Chook was invented by bartender Jeffrey Ong within the Seventies on the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in Malaysia. The resort’s bar was named The Aviary, which led to the cocktail’s avian theme.

The drink made its first look in print in 1989 in John J. Poister’s The New American Bartender’s Information, however achieved its fashionable fame in 2003 when Jeff “Beachbum” Berry included the recipe in Intoxica!, his chronicle of basic tropical drinks.

Over the previous few many years, the Jungle Chook’s profile has grown considerably. It has turn out to be a staple at many rum-focused institutions and bars that function fruit-forward tropical drinks. The Jungle Chook’s mixture of tropical fruit and bitter liqueur has additionally turn out to be a typical template for bartenders to experiment with.

Why the Jungle Chook works

Campari and different bitter liqueurs aren’t generally utilized in tropical cocktails, however on this recipe, it makes good sense. Pineapple juice tends to be on the sweeter facet of fruit juices, and even when paired with the extra acidic lime juice, it could drown out different cocktail components. The bracing bitterness of Campari acts as a counterweight to the fruit juice, balancing the sweetness of the pineapple whereas highlighting the citrus notes of the Campari. This offers the cocktail an virtually grapefruit-like steadiness of bitter and candy with the same rosy orange hue.

The selection of rum used within the Jungle Chook may have a significant impression on the flavour profile of the completed drink. Campari and pineapple juice are sturdy flavors, so choosing a hefty, full-flavored rum is extremely really useful. An aged, pot-distilled Jamaican rum with an honest quantity of funk is a wonderful alternative. Blackstrap rum, with its wealthy notes of caramelized sugar, is often used as effectively.